In the past two weeks there has been an increase in the number and locations of pepper weevils caught in traps.  From the end of June to the first part of August all of the weevils caught were in Woolwich Township on both non-farm and farm traps.

The locations where weevils have been caught or found since August 8 now include Woolwich Township, Logan Township, Cherry Hill Township, Vineland, East Vineland, and Cedarville.  No weevils have been caught recently in the Hammonton area.  This pattern of spread is similar to 2012 when there were no trap captures of weevils in June and July, but suddenly in mid-August seemed to be everywhere.

Infested fields now range from garden-sized pepper plots to full-size commercial fields.  The spike in numbers caught at one field, this year, coincides with the arrival of off-farm produce bins.  Given the locations of non-farm traps, it’s apparent that we do have multiple introductions of pepper weevil through the growing season.

Concerns about pepper weevil have been negated by too much rainfall and resulting disease problems this year.  However, if no preventive action is taken in newly infested fields there will be economic loss even at this time of year.  Farmers must figure out the cost of control versus the revenue likely from late season peppers.  Although several insecticides will kill adults, weekly rotations of Actara and Vydate seems to perform the best.

For specific numbers and locations where weevils have been caught in the past two weeks, refer to this week’s Vegetable IPM Update.

As predicted, the kudzu bug has appeared in our region.  The first specimens have been found by a private consultant in southern Delaware and other specimens have been found in Harford, Maryland, northeast of Baltimore.  Since its discovery in Georgia in 2009, the bug has rapidly spread across the southeastern US, now from Louisiana to Maryland and Delaware.  It is beneficial in that it feeds on kudzu and may actually help suppress it, but it also feeds on soybeans and other legumes, and, like the brown marmorated stinkbug, invades homes and structures in large numbers. We have no confirmed sightings in New Jersey, as far as known.  [Read more…]

Pepper weevil is a difficult pest:

• it is not endemic to New Jersey;
• we have had sporadic outbreaks but not understanding why or how these outbreaks occurred and because of this we have little experience managing it on farm or in preventing it being spread farm to farm;
• we lack an appreciation of its life cycle and how well it is adapted to exploiting our food distribution network;
• and finally, the realization that management recommendations from Florida and other southern locations are not very helpful because of different production practices and climate.

[Read more…]

There are now 6 non-farm locations where adult pepper weevils are being trapped.  Traps at 3 farm sites have also caught weevils in the past week, including 2 pepper fields.  Large numbers of weevils are being trapped at one of these non-farm sites, 54 in a 4 day period.  It is not clear if this represents typical numbers or if this year the number of weevils is exceptional.

[Read more…]

Pepper weevil adults have been found now in four non-farm locations in south Jersey.  In each instance the trapped weevils were likely brought into the state on, or in, peppers from the southern US or Mexico. [Read more…]